Patient care is of the utmost importance. Through simplification of existing techniques and providing a means to introduce new techniques, patient care can be greatly enhanced.
Over the years, a variety of new catheters, retractors, and other medical devices have been developed to enhance surgical techniques and provide for greater patient care. Typifying such catheters, retractors and other medical devices are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,397,699, 3,490,457, 3,503,399, 3,528,869, 3,692,029, 3,815,608, 3,889,685, 3,889,686, 3,926,705, 3,982,544, 4,154,242, 4,154,244, 4,026,296, 4,144,884, 4,154,227, 4,154,243, 4,196,736, 4,202,332, 4,203,429, 4,203,430, 4,207,872, 4,207,898, 4,207,899, and 4,207,900. These catheters, retractors and other medical devices have met with varying degrees of success.
It is therefore desirable to provide improved multi-purpose medical devices to enhance surgical techniques and provide for greater patient care.